Shawn commented on how it took us Brits so long to get central heating, but when I say 'us Brits', I do not include myself. We have no central heating. This recently acquired heater supplements simple electric wall heaters and more primitive fan heaters, but the wall heaters are only turned on if we have visitors who are unused to temperatures below about 25C in their homes.
We are not skinflints (this heater cost as much as the average gas boiler unit) - we just don't like central heating. Well, not enough to suffer the disruption of having a system installed anyway.
Our heating, water-heating and lighting annual bill is around £450 per year in power, and I think that the new water heater will bring it even lower. I went onto a price comparison site for electricity suppliers and having given them all the information they needed to show us a better tariff, they more or less laughed and told me to go away.
The whole house is not connected to gas, so I cook on a bottled gas oven. The annual cost of running it is £100.
Our Council Tax bill is about 3 times the cost of all our utilities put together, and the water bill is about twice as much as the power and gas.
Our friend who has since moved back to Sri Lanka is a Countess through marrying an English Count (who turned out to have an 'o' missing from his title).
When she first visited us, she commented on what a charming, compact, but adorable city apartment we have.
H.I. said, "It's a bit Third World, but we like it."
It is not Third World enough for me. I would love an open fire, but it would be impractical in this top floor compact but adorable apartment in a smoke-free zoned city. Besides, the servants to carry the coal and set the fires have been gone for about 200 years.
Oh look, a Dyson hair-dryer on a stand! I am full of admiration. That is the most stylish heater ever.
ReplyDeleteHere in Ireland we have open fires to burn the final reminders from the Tax Office. What do you do with your final reminders?
They go to a different address and someone else burns them. It is a community-run arrangement.
DeleteWow - which power company do you buy your electricity from ( if you're prepared to reveal)? We have gas CH, hot water and gas hob. It is much cheaper than electricity for the other appliances and lighting. Our electricity bill for our tiny hovel is about the same as your bill but we're not using electric heaters. Though we do have a massive TV (inherited from our son who emigrated) which I think may be the culprit as it definitely warms the air. We have stopped using the dishwasher now as the the gas boiler for hot water is much cheaper. And we find that we quite like washing up by hand after all ("Old skool".)
ReplyDeleteStandard variable tariff from British Gas. Ironic since we are not plumbed for gas. I have never used, let alone owned a dishwasher, though I have loaded a few.
DeleteWe don't have central heating; instead we have wood, electricity, and paraffin heaters.; we also have thick coats, thermals, and gloves.
ReplyDeleteYes, but you don't count in the UK statistics.
DeleteWe have oil fired central heating and hot water. Surprising, as it used to be called liquid gold, it is much cheaper than any other form of heating. We turn that off in the evening when the wood burner is lit. We change electric companies every year and it is well manageable on a pension, or three. However my studio is not connected to anything other than electric, so its Michelin woman who staggers down there and back.
ReplyDeleteIs it Michelin woman who makes the art too? Oil stinks in my experience. Also, those bloody ugly tanks which cost £500 to fill.
DeleteSounds like the Beverly Hillbillies.
DeleteDo you have to go far to the well?
ReplyDeleteOh it's not too far for my maid. She has sturdy legs. Very sturdy.
DeleteVery sturdy.
DeleteSometimes a little too sturdy, if truth be told.
DeleteSturdy... I am beginning to warm to that word...
DeleteShe's got cankels!!!
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